Jenő Barcsay (1900–1988) in the XX. The school-creating oeuvre of one of the most decisive Hungarian painters of the 20th century is organically linked to the city of Szentendre. Continuous painting experiments along the lines of classical traditions and modern artistic endeavors determined the development of his artistic vision. From 1929, he became a member of the Society of Szentendre Painters and the Artists' Colony. The panoramic view of the small town on the Danube, its narrow streets, and cozy buildings provided the painting motifs that the artist tirelessly searched for in the cobblestones of Szentendre, and which accompanied him throughout his creative journey. The Transylvanian-born artist developed his unique abstract style after his student years at the College of Fine Arts, his study trips to Paris and Italy, and visits to numerous Hungarian artist colonies. He left behind a unique oeuvre by creating the tension of geometric structure and figurativeness, starting from a mere view of space. In addition to his painting, he also produced significant graphic and mural works. From 1945 to 1975, as a college professor, he passed on his in-depth knowledge of human representation to several generations of artists. His book Anatomy of Art has been translated into fifteen languages and is still considered a key textbook in art education.
Jenő Barcsay experimented almost from picture to picture with the relationship between space and form, proportions and the structure of the picture. With the precise and meticulous study of the view, the enchanting details of Szentendre's cityscape became the focus of his artistic theme. In his oil paintings, the construction built by contours was replaced by image editing from color spots and geometric shapes. In the exhibition, we can wander through his oeuvre, which strives for the synthesis of the rhythmic editing principle, the dramatic use of color, and the ever more decisive abstraction.